How things work here
Short, practical articles about running an unmanaged server on our network — written by the engineers who answer the tickets. Missing something? Mail support@novogara.com and we will write it.
Getting started
Your first hour with a new machine.
Dedicated, VPS or cloud?
When bare metal wins, and when it does not.
What “unmanaged” means
Where our job stops and yours starts.
From quote to login
Quote, confirmation, credentials. Usually within the hour.
Moving in from another provider
A checklist for moving in without downtime.
Your first hour with a new server
Log in, check the hardware, lock it down. In that order.
Your free DirectAdmin licence
Included with every dedicated server, at no cost.
Your server
Console, reinstalls, disks and what to do when hardware fails.
Remote KVM: console and BIOS
Console and BIOS access, on every machine, whenever you want it.
Choosing an operating system
Pick the boring one you already know.
Reinstalling your server
Unattended, from the portal, as often as you like.
Backups that actually restore
We do not make them. Here is how to do it properly.
RAID and disk layout
What RAID protects you from, and what it does not.
Choosing a filesystem
ext4, XFS or ZFS, and when each one fits.
Monitoring your own server
We watch the network. You watch the application.
Hardening a fresh install
The short list, in the order that matters.
Upgrading the kernel safely
Keep the old one, and know your way back.
When memory runs out
Reading an OOM kill, and preventing the next one.
Checking disk health
Which SMART values matter, and when to tell us.
Docker and the firewall trap
Why your firewall stops working, and how to fix it.
When hardware fails
What we do, what you do, and what to have ready.
Encrypting disks remotely
Possible on a machine you never touch. Here is how.
Running virtual machines on it
Your box, your hypervisor, your rules.
If your server is compromised
Contain it, find the door, rebuild. In that order.
Sending us hardware or parts
Arrange it in a ticket first, or it gets refused at the door.
Network
Addresses, reverse DNS, port speeds, filtering and routing.
SSH access, and getting back in
Keys, not passwords. And a way back in.
IP addresses and reverse DNS
Extra addresses, and getting the PTR record right.
A firewall that does not lock you out
Deny by default, test before you commit.
Getting IPv6 running
Supported everywhere on our network, not bolted on.
Testing your connection properly
Why one download never fills a 10 Gbit port.
Port speeds and unmetered
The port, not a fair-use clause with a counter behind it.
Sending mail from your server
Reverse DNS, SPF, DKIM. In that order.
How DDoS filtering works here
What is filtered, and what is still your job.
Bringing your own IP space
Your prefixes, announced from our network.
When the route is bad
Measure it properly, then tell us. We can move your traffic.
MTU, fragmentation and tunnels
Ping works, large transfers hang. That is MTU.
The DNS records a server needs
A, AAAA, PTR and the mail trio, in plain terms.
Account and policy
Invoices, cancellation, abuse notices and what we hold about you.
Getting a fast answer
What to include so the first reply is the answer.
Invoices, payment and cancellation
Invoices 14 days ahead, paid in advance, cancel at the end of the term.
Cancelling, and what happens to your data
How to stop, and what happens to your data.
You received an abuse notice
What it means, what we expect, and how fast.
GDPR: who is responsible for what
On an unmanaged server, the data on it is yours alone.
Migrating away from us
How to leave cleanly, written down on purpose.